Ethan's midnight eyes stared down at Bella as she cried. The worst part was not being able to tell him a word of what happened. Telling him would reveal her secret and Bellatrix wasn't sure how much more pain she could take.
It was so strange, this feeling of pain. Her heart ached and her throat was tight. She had been raised to push everything back; desperation, heartbreak, betrayal. When she was on the receiving end it was okay. Her heart was turned stone against those things so much so that they just bounced off like nothing. But she was the one hurting someone, when she was the betrayer, it was different and Bella had no idea that someone could hurt like that by hurting someone else. Narcissa's screams were like tiny needles all over her skin.
Ethan stroked her head and cooed softly, telling her everything was going to be alright. He didn't even know a thing but the gist was comforting. Bellatrix sank into his arms. She was exhausted and drained. Torturing someone you love will do that to you.
When her cried had ceased and the tears had dried Ethan finally pressed her for more information.
"You want to tell me what happened?" he said softly. His cheek was pressed against the top of her head as they were sprawled on the loveseat in the Room of Requirement.
Bellatrix racked her brain for lies, anything that would get her out of the conversation without blowing her cover.
"I had a fight with Cissy." Not completely true but not untrue.
"What about?"
"I just upset her about something, that's all" Bella hoped her words weren't rushed and she prayed that Ethan would drop it. He did.
Slowly but surely Bella picked up the fragile pieces of her fallen emotions and put them back together again. Ethan's embrace gave her the power to do that. Sense came back to her and she could see that there was no point in lying down and crying which was exactly what Narcissa was doing in that exact same moment.
Narcissa Black laid stick straight on one of the leather sofas in the Slytherin common room. She didn't see where her sister had run off to and she didn't care. Her skin felt like it was still sizzling, like it had just come out of the cauldron. Tears fell freely from her face.
Narcissa remembered pain, screaming, Lucius's enraged cry and then blackness followed by curious faces staring down at her from above. She blinked away bright light room and focused on who was above her. There was Lucius and Gordon and another; Madame Pomfrey.
"And you're sure that's all that happened?" said the crisp voice of the nurse.
"Yes," Lucius's voice was irritated and cold, "just a slip of the hand and the whole potion went wrong. She fainted after that"
Madame Pomfrey narrowed her eyes and looked the three students over carefully. Cissy could tell that she didn't believe a word but she didn't push on. It was her job to heal injuries and not inquire as to the circumstances. That was up to the headmaster.
Looking back on that moment from her place on the sofa, Narcissa realised how much was at stake then. If one staff member so much as suspected illicit activity then they'd increase security and the whole club would suffer. Lucius had done the right thing.
As if instigated by thought, the young Malfoy stormed into the common room. His eyes were much different from how they were in the hospital wing. Then, they had been soft and cloudy, now his grey eyes were thunderous and dark. He had vengeance on his mind.
"No one has seen her. But she'll be back and when she is-"
"You'll do nothing" Narcissa cut him off and was shocked at how hollow her voice sounded.
Malfoy moved to kneel at her side, "What do you mean? She hurt you! And I swore that if anyone hurt you I would take it upon myself to see they were dealt with."
Narcissa placed a hand on his cheek. They were both so young and she could see that. She hated to see Lucius so hell-bent on causing pain to someone else. He wanted to do the right thing by her always but it ate at him inside to hurt another being. It was only she that could see the sensitive soul inside him. It was the main reason for her love for him. In truth, it was how she knew they had love for each other. Both could see the other for who they really were.
"I know you think you're doing something good by going on this manhunt for my sister. But if there's anyone who can really communicate with her, it's me. You'll just get yourself hurt." Narcissa touched her forehead to Lucius'. He looked angry at her lack of faith at first but the calmed, matching his breathing to hers.
With fingertips like feathers the girl tilted her boyfriend's chin to meet his lips with hers. It was only the lightest of kisses but it held more love in it than anything else. Narcissa wanted Lucius to know he was the only one for her and always would be.
One fleeting kiss proved to not be enough and Malfoy leant in for more. Cissy did not object and she complied while they kissed with desperation now, hotter and faster. She clasped his face in her hands and lay back, bringing his lips with her.
Malfoy followed and now he hovered over her while still not breaking their kiss. It was hard to get a good grip on the slippery leather of the sofa. He was awkward and she was beautiful, that was always how these dalliances went. Luckily, he managed to keep himself upright and continued to hover over Narcissa. Just kissing, nothing further.
Cissy tentatively placed her hands on Malfoy's chest. They broke apart and touched foreheads, heavily breathing together. Slowly Narcissa brought her hands under Lucius' school jumper and lightly traced his stomach and then his chest. She dragged her fingers up and down his torso and felt the jaggedness of his hipbones. Where Narcissa's fingers went, Malfoy was left with a trail of goose bumps and he could feel what was happening to himself. It happened every time they were together, yet he was no longer embarrassed.
Embracing his found need for passion Lucius placed light pecks along Narcissa's jawline and down her neck. Her breathing increased into short and fast breaths and her hands, now free from under Malfoy's jumper, shook with the pleasure.
"L-Lucius," she whispered.
He moaned in response, still continuing to place light kisses on her neck and now her chest. Narcissa closed her eyes and relished the feeling and then set her mind back to the task at hand.
"Lucius, I want to." With now unshaking hands, she cupped him from the outside of his trousers and pressed down with her palm. Malfoy shuddered.
He placed warm and wet kisses on her collar bone and finally returned to her lips where he left a final kiss before drawing away. Swiftly, he climbed off Narcissa and sat back down on the ground, averting his eyes from her offended face.
"We're not ready" he said glumly.
"We're not or you're not?" Narcissa spoke with harsh criticism.
Malfoy said nothing. He returned his gaze to Narcissa's pointed face. Her black eyes were cold but Lucius had never felt so warm in anyone else's gaze. He smiled a small smile and placed a light kiss on Cissy's forehead.
"I promise you that I want to, more than anything else, but please... wait"
Narcissa looked up at him with pleading eyes but her sigh suggested that she surrendered. Neither of them spoke for a while. Lucius intertwined his long fingers with Narcissa's and they sat there like that. Both students took deep breaths and Narcissa began to feel drowsy in the silence. Yet it was nothing but silent in Malfoy's head as he thought of the perfect thing to say in that moment. It was on the tip of tongue, tasting sweet.
"Narcissa..." Cissy's heavy eyelids opened suddenly and she smiled and looked up at Lucius.
Without even looking at her Malfoy said the three words that he had been dying to say to her ever since they meant. For two people so young they had found their other half in such a short space of time that people doubted what they had was true. But the weight in the three words, to Malfoy, meant more to him that what anyone else thought. The truth behind them was undeniable.
"I love you" the words hung in the silence and time slowed. Lucius could practically see them reach Narcissa's ears and see the gears in her head process the meaning. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she exhaled a breath that Malfoy didn't even know she was holding.
"I love you too" she whispered and the two young lovers sat there holding hands and felt like together they could conquer the world.
That moment was cut short when Bellatrix Black stormed into the common room. Obviously she wasn't aware that her sister was in the room so she marched straight past them and proceeded to go up the stairs. Narcissa and Lucius looked up in horror and the girl tightened her grip on her boyfriend's hand as he had a face that looked like he was about to do something rash.
"Hey!" Narcissa shouted angrily. Bellatrix froze and she did not turn around.
"We need to talk" Bellatrix's sister's voice was like ice. She looked at Lucius imploringly and he grimaced but got the message. Huffing, he shot a cold look at Bella and left the common room. The two sisters stared at each other but there was something empty in Bellatrix's eyes.
Narcissa got up off the couch and marched over to her sister, not once breaking her gaze. Two pairs of black eyes fought it out in a battle of stares, one begging for forgiveness and the other unwilling to give it.
"Cissy, I can explain-"
Bella's words were cut short as Narcissa raised her hand to silence her sister.
And brought it swiftly across her sister's face. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room, as sharp as the Black family's morals.
